Electric apparatus for measuring and recording intervals of time.



No. 754,020. PATENTED MAR. 8, 1904.

'0. J; SPRINGER. ELECTRIC APPARATUS FOR MEASURING AND RECORDINGINTERVALS OF TIME.

APPLioATIoN FILED JUNE 27. 1903.

no MODEL. 3 MEETS-slum- 1.

Zflz'iizesses mn veniar:

wdwfia if ma Nomus Pm'zns co. rmoYo-uma, WASNINGYON. o. c.

No. 754,020. PATENTED MAR. 8, 1904. G. J. SPRINGER.

ELECTRIC APPARATUS FOR MEASURING AND RECORDING INTERVALS OF TIME.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 27, 1903. 10 MODEL. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2 No. 754,020.PATENTED MAR. 8, 1904.

I 0. J. SPRINGER. ELECTRIC APPARATUS FOR MEASURING AND RECORDINGINTERVALS OF TIME.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 27, 1903.

no 1401221.. 3 SHEETS-SHEET a.

5'/ 3 9 MHSTERQMIIM I CLOCK.

I 27' L L L as l 1 RECORD/N6. 4o HECURD/NG 40 RECORD/N0 4o IMYTfiL/MENZlmsmmimr. INSTRUMENR ZdzZnesses: @2564. 6 @m/u UNITED STATES PatentedMarch 8, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

ELECTRIC APPARATUS FOR MEASURING AND RECORDING INTERVALS OF TIME.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 754,020, dated March 8,1904.

Application filed June 27, 1903. Serial No- 163,379. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CALVIN J. SPRINGER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Somerville, in the county of Middlescx and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inElectric Apparatus for Measuring and Recording Intervalsof Time, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention has for its object to simplify and improve the constructionof machines or apparatus for measuring and recording intervals of timewhereby a plurality of such machines may be electrically connected withand operated by a master-clock so arranged that it will close theelectric circuit in which said machines are included to therebysimultaneously operate the time-trains of all of said machines attheclose of each minute or portion thereof, so that each machine will beat all times ready toproduce a record of the time indicated by themaster-clock.

To this end my invention consists in the novel features of constructionand combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of myimproved apparatus for measuring and recording intervals of time. Fig. 2is a plan view of the same with the top plate removed. Fig. 3 is a frontelevation of the same with the casing in section. Fig. 4 is a verticalsection of the same on the line 1 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a horizontalsection of the same on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is an end view ofthe same with the casing in section. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing aplurality of my recordingmachines electrically connected with amasterclock. Fig. 8 is a View of the printed timecard used in connectionwith my machine, showing the perforations made therein at the beginningof an interval to be recorded. Fig. 9 is a View of the same card afterbeing perforated at the end of the interval of time to be recorded. Fig.10 is a detail of the carriers and their ticket-puncturingdevices. Fig.11 is an enlarged detail in perspective of a portion of one of thecarriers, showing the ticketpuncturing device thereon.

In the said drawings, 10 represents the metal base-plate which supportsthe operative parts of the mechanism, which are inclosed within aflanged casing 12, of suitable shape, secured to said base-plate andprovided with a removable cover 14c.

Secured to the base-plate 10 is a plate 15, between which and a similarplate 16 is a timetrain by which the registering devices to behereinafter described are driven. The timetrain is intermittinglyoperated at regular intervals-in the present case, every fifteensecondsby an elcctromagnet 18, the springpressed armature 19 of which isconnected with an arm 20, secured to a vertical rockershaft 21,journaled within openings in the two plates 15 16 and carrying near itslower end a long horizontal arm 22, to the free end of which is pivoteda pawl 23, which engages a ratchet-wheel 24, mounted on avertical arbor25, forming a part of the time-train. The pawl 23 has a spring to pressit into engagement with its ratchet-wheel, and the latter is providedwith a spring-pressed retaining-pawl 26, which prevents any backwardmovement of the ratchet-wheel 24 while the pawl 23 is being moved totake a fresh tooth. The armature 19 is attracted to the magnet againstthe influence of a spring 8, secured to and projecting laterally fromthe rocker-shaft 21 and having its free end extended through an openingin the downwardly-extending arm of a hanger 9, which is adjustablysecured to the under side of the plate 16, whereby the tension of thespring 8 maybe varied as desired.

27 28 are the circuit-wires of the magnet 18, which are connected with asuitable battery 29, Fig. 7 and included in this circuit is amaster-clock 30, provided with a suitable circuit-breaker 31, adapted tobe operated by the mechanism of said clock to close the circuit atregular intervals, whereby the time-train is caused to move in unisonwith the clock, so that the registering devices operated by saidtime-train will be at all times in readiness to produce on a time-card arecord of an interval of time indicated by the master-clock, ashereinafter described.

To the upper end of the arbor 25 above the top plate 16 is secured acarrier 32, which may consist of either a disk, as shown, or a radialarm, if preferred. Projecting vertically from the upper surface of thecarrier 32 near its edge is a puncturing device 33, consisting of aseries of radially arranged needle points or pins which are adapted toperforate a timecard when placed upon said carrier and pressed downthereupon by a movable platen 34, having an elastic or yielding facecomposed of felt, rubber, or other suitable material and acting as ahammer, said platen being hinged at 35 and carrying the armature 36 ofan electromagnet 37, the circuit-wires of which are connected with asuitable battery 38, as shown in Fig. 7. The magnet 37 is energized todepress the platen against the resistance of a spring 39, Figs. 2 and 6,by operating a button or key 40, located at one side of the instru ment,as shown in Fig. 2.

To the arbor 25 is secured a pinion 42, which meshes with a wheel 43,mounted loosely on a Vertical arbor 44 and carrying a pinion 45, whichmeshes with and drives a wheel 46, fast on a tubular shaft or sleeve 47,revolving on a vertical arbor 48. The wheel 46 carries a pinion 49,which meshes with and drives a Wheel 50, fast on the arbor 44 andcarrying a pinion 51, which meshes with and drives a wheel 52, fast onthe arbor 48.

To the upper end of the tubular shaft 47 above the plate 16 is secured acarrier 54, Which may consist of either a disk, as shown, or a radialarm, if preferred. The carrier 54 is provided with a centrally-locatedrecess 55, in which is fitted another carrier,56,which may consisteither of a disk, as shown, or a radial arm, if preferred, and ismounted upon the upper end of the arbor 48 and adapted to rotate withinthe carrier 54. The carriers 54 56 are each provided at or near theouter edge with a puncturing device 57 58, respectively, similar to thepuncturing device 33 of the carrier 32, and each of these puncturingdevices is encircled by an elastic element 59, preferably composed of ashort section of rubber tubing notched at the upper edge and acting as aclearer to force the time card or ticket off the perforating pins orneedle-points when the platen 34 is raised by its spring 39, Figs. 2 and6, after being operated by the magnet 37 to press said time-card downupon said perforating devices. The carrier 54, with its puncturingdevice 57, as rotated by the timetrain makes a complete revolution inone hour in unison with the minute-hand of the masterclock, while theinner carrier 56,with its puncturing device 58, makes a completerevolution in twelve hours in unision with the hour-hand of themaster-clock, so that the relative position of the two perforatingdevices will correspond at alltimes to the position of the hands of themaster-clock by which they are controlled.

The time-card (shown in Figs. 8 and 9) employed in connection with theherein described machine instead of being printed by die-dials forming apart of the machine, as has heretofore been done in instruments forrecording intervals of time, has printed upon it before being used twodials 62 63. The dial 62 has twenty equal divisions, representingquarters of a minute, and bears the numbers 0 to 4 to indicate fiveminutes. The other dial, 63, is marked off into twelve numbereddivisions corresponding to the dial of a timepiece to indicate hours andminutes. The dials are so printed upon the time-card that when it isinserted through a slot 65 in the top of the casing printed sideuppermost and placed squarely up against a rectangular gage-plate 66,Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 6, in position for recording the dials 62 63 willrespectively overlie and register with the carriers 32 and 56, so thatwhen the operator closes the circuit of the magnet 37 by means of thekey or button 40 to thereby cause the platen 34 to press the time-carddown upon said carriers the puncturing device of the carrier 32 willproduce a series of radial perforations 67 inside of the line of thedivisions of the minutedial 62, thus producing within a quarter of aminute a record of the time when the ticket was perforated, while thepuncturing devices 57 58 of the carriers 54 56, corresponding,respectively, to the minute and hour hands of the master-clock,willsimultaneously produce on the clock-dial 63 of the time-card twoseries of radial perforations 68 69, one on the circle of figures onsaid dial and the other on the out-side of said circle, the series onthe circle of the dial-figures produced by the pins 58 marking the hourand the outside series produced by the pins 57 marking the minutes, thusrecording the time of day when the perforations were made by operatingthe platen 34.

Fig. 8 represents a time-card on which a record has been made at thecommencement of an interval of time to be measured, showing on theimprint of the clock-dial thereon the time to be live minutes past ten,at which time the perforations were made on the minute-dial 62 injuxtaposition with the zero thereon, and Fig. 9represents the same cardat the termination of the interval of time to be measured, showing onthe clock-dial the time to be eight minutes past ten, with the secondline of perforations on the minute-dial 62 at the numeral 3 thereon, aninterval of three minutes being thus recorded.

Fig. 7 represents a plurality of the abovedescribed recordinginstruments electrically connected with a master-clock included in thesame circuit. If desired, any number of these instruments may beincluded in a single circuit with the master-clock, so that thetime-trains of all the instruments will be simultaneously controlled bysaid masterclock as, for instance, in a telephone-exchange, where agreat number of recording instruments are constantly in use.

Among the many advantages incident to my invention may be enumerated thefollowing: By the employment of atime-card having dials printed thereonprevious to its use and preforating the same opposite to figures ormarks upon said dials instead of using printing-dies forming a part ofthe mechanism of the recording instrument, as heretofore, 1 am enabledto dispense with an inking-ribbon, and thus effect a material saving andat the same time greatly simplify the mechanism. By operating thetime-trains of a plurality of recording instruments simultaneously bymeans of electromagnets controlled by a master-clock instead ofspring-operated clockwork, as heretofore, no winding up is required,which in the case of a large number of machines involves the waste ofconsiderable time. By operating the platen by an electromagnet insteadof by a hand-lever, as heretofore, in connection with the perforatingdevices described, a perfectly clear and distinct record is always made,thus avoiding mistakes, while with an inking-ribbon andprinting-diesoperated bya hand-lever, as heretofore, a faint impressionis often made, which is a very serious objection and often leads tomistakes'and disputes.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In a machine for measuring and recording intervals of time, thecombination with a timetrain adapted to be actuated by an electromagnetcontrolled by a clock, of a rotatable carrier driven by said time-trainand provided with a puncturing device adapted to produce a record ofminutes and portions thereof on a card or ticket bearing the imprint ofa minute-dial, two rotatable concentrically-arranged carriers alsodriven by said time-train at different velocities and each provided witha puncturing device for puncturing a card or ticket bearing the imprintof a clock-dial to record on said dial the time of day corresponding tothat indicated by the controlling-clock, and a movable platen or hammeradapted to be operated by an electromagnet for pressing the time card orticket upon said puncturing devices.

Witness my hand this 20th day of June,

CALVIN J. SPRINGER. In presence of P. E. TESCHEMACHER, F. B. SPAULDING.

